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south africa

  1. Hadada Ibis

    Hadada Ibis

    The barely visible red culmen indicates an adult. They are common and increasingly widespread in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in settled areas where it has adapted to irrigated fields and suburban gardens. It is pronounced "Ha DEE Dah" by the locals. Sometimes spelled "Hadeda," the name is...
  2. African Sacred Ibis

    African Sacred Ibis

    An adult with unfeathered all black head and neck The dark eye distinguishes it from the Malagasy Sacred Ibis. Historically, this species was abundant in Egypt, where millions were mummified as offerings to the god Thoth. By the end of the 19th century they had completely disappeared from Egypt...
  3. Reed Cormorant

    Reed Cormorant

    Cormorants are famous for drying out with spread wings. This is a soggy all black adult with red eyes. Note the diagnostic pale centers to the wing coverts. Formerly called "Long-tailed Cormorant;" two subspecies are recognized. Mainland birds are nominate "M. a. africanus." A larger race...
  4. Egyptian Goose

    Egyptian Goose

    Native here, but widely introduced in Europe and locally in the United States. The sole member of the genus Alopochen. The specific name formerly spelled aegyptiacus but changed for gender agreement.
  5. Black Wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou)

    Black Wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou)

    Note the long white tail which distinguishes the Black Wildebeest from the more widespread Common (blue) Wildebeest. Endemic to South Africa, they were hunted to near extinction but survive in protected areas and game reserves. Sometimes called the White-tailed Gnu, they are usually highly...
  6. Common Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus)

    Common Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus)

    The "warts" (callosites) are three paired masses of thickened skin protecting the jaws, eyes, and muzzle. The males compete by tusk-wrestling and head banging. The enlarged callosites help protect the head from injury. This is the southern subspecies "P. a. sundevallii" usually called the...
  7. Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)

    Plains Zebra (Equus quagga)

    South Africans pronounce it zeb-ra, with a short "e." These are the subspecies "E. q. burchellii" (formerly "E. burchellii") aka Burchell's Zebra which are considered "near threatened" by IUCN. They were hunted to near extinction but survive in a number of game reserves and protected areas. Note...
  8. Common Eland (Taurotragus oryx)

    Common Eland (Taurotragus oryx)

    The largest antelope in the area, with males substantially larger than females. Elands are in the spiral-horned antelope tribe Tragelaphini. Three races are recognized. This is nominate "T. o. oryx" (Cape Eland) characterized by tawny color and lack of side stripes in adults.
  9. Impala (Aepyceros melampus)

    Impala (Aepyceros melampus)

    This is a female lacking the ornate horns of the male. These highly social, sleek, gazelle-like antelope are said to reach 50 mph when escaping predators. They can release a scent from glands on their heels by kicking their hind legs helping them stay with the group. This is the nominate...
  10. Orange-throated Longclaw

    Orange-throated Longclaw

    The name "Longclaw" comes from the long claw on the rear toe characteristic of the pipit family (Motacillidae). This toe provides balance when walking. There are eight species of Longclaws, all confined to Africa. They are rather sturdy, upright, terrestrial birds that may remind Americans of...
  11. Red-billed Oxpecker

    Red-billed Oxpecker

    Foraging on the back of a White Rhinoceros (previous image). Oxpeckers were merged with the starlings in Sturnidae, but are now returned to their own family, the Buphagidae. They are famous for climbing on large mammals feeding on ticks and blood-sucking flies. But they are also accused of...
  12. White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)

    White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)

    Mom with calf. In 1900 there were only 20 of these animals left in the world. Today there are more than 10,000 thanks largely to the dedicated staff at the Imfolozi Game Reserve who are credited with saving them from extinction. The White Rhino is sometimes called the Graze or Square-lipped...
  13. Lion (Panthera leo)

    Lion (Panthera leo)

    An older adult male. Formerly widespread in Africa, the Lion is now mostly confined to large parks and reserves. Two former subspecies, the Cape and Barbary Lions, have gone extinct in recent times. Only two subspecies are left. This one is the Southern Lion "P. l. melanochaita" characterized...
  14. Blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus)

    Blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus)

    Identified by the white blaze on its forehead and on the front of its face. Apparently they were hunted to the verge of extinction until a rancher collected the last 17 animals remaining and put them in a protective enclosure. They breed well in captivity and there are now an estimated 54,000...
  15. Southern Giraffe (Giraffa giraffa)

    Southern Giraffe (Giraffa giraffa)

    I believe this is a male based on its fairly long horns. Giraffe taxonomy is in flux. Traditionally only one species with nine subspecies was recognized. However new molecular results recognize four biological species. Under this classification, the giraffes in Southern Africa are the Southern...
  16. Blacksmith Lapwing

    Blacksmith Lapwing

    Dark red eye, barely visible, it gets its name from its alarm call which sounds like the pounding of a blacksmith's hammer on an anvil. They are fairly common and widespread throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Males and females are similar. Sometimes called Blacksmith Plover and formerly included in...
  17. South African Shelduck

    South African Shelduck

    Sometimes called Cape Shelduck they are a true Southern African endemic. This a a female sporting a nearly all white head. Males have a gray head.
  18. Cape Starling

    Cape Starling

    Carrying a small gecko, probably Bibron's Thick-toed Gecko. The light has to be just right to see the glossy colors on this bird. Endemic to Southern Africa, this attractive common species is sometimes called "Red-shouldered Glossy-Starling" (reddish lesser coverts usually concealed) or "Cape...
  19. Village Weaver

    Village Weaver

    Video showing nest building.
  20. Village Weaver

    Village Weaver

    Locally common, they were all adult males actively building nests in a large tree near the lodge. This is the race "P. c. spilonotus" sometimes called "Spotted Backed Weaver." It is characterized by having no black on its crown. This colony near the southern tip of their range; they are absent...
  21. Gray-hooded Gull

    Gray-hooded Gull

    Taken from our cruise ship balcony, an immature showing brown carpal bar and some dark tail tips. Two races recognized. African birds are "C. c. poiocephalus" which is smaller and slightly paler than nominate birds from South America. Formerly in genus "Larus" but moved to Chroicocephalus based...
  22. Cape Gannet

    Cape Gannet

    A few of these powerful plunge diving seabirds came in fairly close to our cruise ship. Cape Gannet is listed as endangered" by IUCN because of a large population decline expected to continue. The main threat is food shortage after the collapse of the Namibian sardine fishery. They are similar...
  23. Kelp Gull

    Kelp Gull

    An adult of the distinctive Southern Africa race "L. d. vetula" which differs in having a dark eye, more sloping forehead, different bill shape and shorter wings. They are sometimes split as a separate species called "Cape Gull." This split was followed by SASOL until recent gene flow from South...
  24. Speckled Pigeon

    Speckled Pigeon

    Formerly called "Rock Pigeon," a name now widely used for the former Rock Dove aka Feral Pigeon ("Columba livia"). Two races are recognized. This is the smaller and darker Southern Africa race, "Columba guinea phaeonota".
  25. Red-winged Starling

    Red-winged Starling

    This is a male (back) courtship feeding a female (front). This species was originally confined to cliffs and gorges for nesting, but now also takes advantage of buildings and other man-made structures in urban areas. Two subspecies are usually recognized. Southern African birds are the shorter...
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